


On the Tides

by JamieHasCatEyes



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: F/M, Fantasy AU, Folklore, Magic, Mer-Adrien, Mermaid & Selkie AU, Mistaken Identity, Selkie-Marinette, Villainous villains, alternating povs
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-12
Updated: 2019-04-25
Packaged: 2019-10-26 20:57:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 12,576
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17753393
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JamieHasCatEyes/pseuds/JamieHasCatEyes
Summary: Marinette is a selkie who was raised on tales of humans who would steal her pelt to make her their bride. However, her beliefs are questioned when one of those humans returns her pelt after believing she had misplaced it. Surely, the tales were an unfair generalisation, told by those who were too prejudiced to rationalise clearly.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Here I go again with another AU. I wrote this some time ago, and it's just been sitting in my laptop, waiting for me to post it.  
> I may have forgotten a few details, so that would be why it's so light on the tags. I'm sure I covered the main points, though.  
> After this, I may be quiet for some time. I seem to have hit the creative wall, and all my plot bunnies have abandoned me. I still want to continue my Worst Villain AU, as well as my They Were Roommates AU, but finding inspiration has been hard. Maybe once summer is over I'll feel more motivated. The heat really saps all your energy.
> 
> I hope you enjoy this fluffy train wreck, and thank you for reading!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now with a lovely cover art by DeusBex!

 

Marinette glided through the water with ease, chasing bright silvery fish and nudging crabs with her nose, before twisting around and speeding away. She broke the surface with a gasp, then bobbed for a moment as she took in the day’s warmth. It felt wonderful after the frigid depths, deciding her to take a few hours sunbathing on the beach.

She dived, heading toward the shore, to emerge from the breakers. Marinette lumbered up the soft sand to the rocks claiming a portion of the shore, where she shed her seal skin, spreading it out on the sand beside the rock shelf to lay on. She stretched her human limbs, luxuriating in the balmy weather, the sun sure to leave another freckle on her fair skin.

Before long, she fell asleep, lulled by the crashing waves, losing all sense of time. But it was quiet on the beach, and her colony didn’t expect her back any time soon. If they needed her, they knew where to look; Marinette was a creature of habit, and her closest friends and family knew all her favourite sunning spots.

When she awoke, the sun was high and uncomfortably hot. Marinette got to her feet with a huff, glad to be of selkie kind, as her people were not susceptible to sunburn like humans, and didn’t perish of dehydration like the merfolk did.

She stretched as she looked around, the rock pools reminding her why this beach was her favourite. With a smile, she headed toward the nearest one to crouch beside it, peering intently into its depths. Anemones clung to the sides, their tentacles swaying gently, and small starfish sat on the sandy bottom, almost totally inert. With a giggle, Marinette reached in to tickle one of the bright anemones, its tentacles attempting to wrap around her finger. She pulled her hand back to pluck a limpet from the rock wall. She placed it in the centre of the anemone as an apology for teasing it. The creature had no brain, but her mother had taught her not to be cruel to other creatures, lest she find herself in need of the ocean’s aid one day. Marinette didn’t know how an anemone could help her if she were in peril, but reasoned that she oughtn’t be cruel to another living being anyway. Of course, none of that helped the unfortunate limpet, its soft innards currently being devoured by the anemone.

Marinette shrugged off the inconsistency, before making her way to another rock pool. This one was much larger than the first, with enough room for her to sit in, and even boasting a conveniently placed rock shelf for her to use as a step. Carefully, Marinette slid her foot in, smiling at the ripples refracting the sunlight.

She sank in up to her hips, her feet cushioned by the sandy floor. Crabs scuttled out of her way, and tiny fish darted for cover, their scales reflecting the sun in bright flashes, before they concealed themselves in the myriad nooks and crannies of the pool.

With a parting wave, she climbed out of their sanctuary to head to yet another pool, one much closer to where the rocks met the sea. Waves crashed, flooding the ledge and the pool, hiding the perils that formed on the rocks. Marinette lost her balance on a slippery patch, then stood on a sharp stone as she tried to correct herself. She cried out, then limped backward, pouting at the rock pool just out of reach.

‘Are you ok?’

Marinette spun around to face an unfamiliar human. He was tall, lean, and muscular, with blond hair and green eyes, and wore only blue trousers that were torn off just below the knees. He was also holding her pelt.

Fear tore up Marinette’s throat as she hobbled as quickly as she could toward him. Her colony had warned her about humans who would keep selkies against their will. They hid the pelts, forcing the unfortunate selkie to live on land until they could find their skin and escape. However, such an undertaking could take years, as the selkie had no allies to rely upon, not even the children begotten from such a union.

Marinette was still five feet away from the man when she stopped, and pointed to her pelt with a trembling finger. She opened her mouth, but found she was unable to talk, too afraid of what he would do next.

The man looked at her fur as if he’d forgotten he still held it. ‘Oh, yeah. This is yours, right?’

He stepped forward to drape it over her shoulders. ‘I was worried you’d lost it.’

Marinette gripped her pelt tight, staring at the man in amazed disbelief.

‘Thank you,’ she murmured.

He smiled. ‘You’re welcome. It would be unchivalrous to allow a lady to freeze without her coat. Have a good day, mademoiselle.’

He inclined his head and turned around to walk away. Marinette stared at his back in confused wonder.

A human man had returned her pelt of his own accord. Contrary to what many believed, that did not make him her husband. That was a common misconception spread by overly romanticised human stories. But she wished he was. He was thoughtful, generous, kind, and extremely handsome. Marinette would bet her favourite woven basket that he was the most popular boy in his town.

She sighed as his figure disappeared behind a low dune. Her mother had always taught her to be wary of men who would steal her for a wife, but surely not all humans could be as bad as that. That one had been very different from Sabine’s stories, and even gave her pelt back for fear she had lost it, which if she were honest with herself, was something she would do.

Discounting the warnings, Marinette slipped her fur back on, and waded into the water. It felt like coming home.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adrien muses about the things he has seen, and reminisces on what brought him to land.

Adrien strolled through the modest human village, feeling decidedly underdressed in his tattered pants. Everywhere he looked, people wore clothes covering them from their shoulders to their toes, the fancier ones sporting wide-brimmed hats with long, jaunty feathers

The townsfolk stared back with narrow eyes and pinched lips, apparently believing him to be a vagrant, or some kind of miscreant. The hard-bitten citizens were nothing more than fisher folk, made cautious by the capricious sea, and governed by a man known only as Baron Barbot, who lived atop a nearby hill. For such a humble people, they were unreasonably judgemental. Still, Adrien was fascinated by their daily lives, particularly the people who harnessed fire for a living, like the baker, and the smith.

A kindly older gentleman had given him his first taste of bread when he thought Adrien homeless and starving. So, Adrien decided that not all humans were as bad as he was led to believe, and that bread was delicious. But it was human women he found were especially strange. The village women were particularly prudish, dragging their offspring out of sight when they saw him approach, covering their children’s eyes, and scowling at him until he turned a corner.

But the woman on the beach that morning was different. She had not cared about his state of undress, nor was she concerned by her own nudity. Adrien’s people didn’t wear clothes, so uncovered bodies meant nothing to him, but he would have thought she would care more about her own nakedness, except her coat had been large enough for her to cover herself completely. It was an exceptionally fine coat too, which led him to believe she must be a woman of means among the humans.

She was also beautiful, fair of face, and charming of character. She made it hard for Adrien to believe humans were evil.

Gabriel, his father and king of the merpeople, had raised Adrien on stories of how humans had been responsible for his mother’s untimely demise, how they dirtied the ocean, and spread like a plague across the land.

Adrien, however, was more objective. Nathalie had told him how Emilie had been struck by a sailing vessel, and died of her injuries. To Adrien, it seemed more like an accident, and he doubted the humans had even realised she was there.

But Gabriel was prejudiced, and would never believe anything good could come from associating with humans. This made his decision to allow Adrien to spend time on land all the more astonishing. It seemed that Adrien’s constant questions and begging had finally worn the old king down, so he relented with poor grace. He’d cast the spell, then looked Adrien sternly in the eyes.

‘Swim to the beach and lay in the dunes until you dry out. Only then will your tail become legs, and your gills will vanish. It will be a long and painful process. Your body will beg you to return to the water, but if you do, the spell will fail, and you will have to wait a full year before you can attempt such foolishness again.’

Adrien had nodded obediently. ‘Understood. How do I reverse the spell?’

‘Simply come back to the ocean. The waves will welcome you back by re-gifting you with your tail and gills.’

Adrien bade his farewells, waved to the court, then swam to shore to begin the transition.

It was worse than Gabriel had described. Drying out was agony, and seemed to take hours. Truly, it was an awful way for merfolk to die.

Just as he thought he was about to turn into foam, he was dazzled by a flash of green light. Feeling immeasurably better, he wriggled his toes, and bent his knees one at a time, then examined his genitalia. A merman’s shaft was concealed behind a layer of flesh, not unlike a pouch, and only extended during times of arousal. Human males were not so modest, apparently.

Setting that subject aside, Adrien attempted to stand. It took him eight tries before he could balance, and another hour for him to figure out the mechanics of walking. Once he was mobile, he struck out for the inland reaches.

Adrien was amazed by everything he saw. Freshwater streams, birds, trees, clouds, but especially human contrivances. Their houses, animal pens, and carts captivated him, and as he was hiding behind a roadside bush, he saw his first humans. They were atop four-legged beasts, all wearing an assortment of clothing. Realising he would also need clothes, Adrien stole a pair of pants from a partially collapsed homestead. Pulling them on like he’d seen the men wearing them, he clumsily fastened the stays, and headed toward the village once more.

He spent the first night on a park bench in the village green, gazing up at the stars for hours, believing humans were the luckiest creatures on the planet, to be surrounded by such beauty. He could have lain there for ever.

It was nice to be away from the court. Gabriel had never let him wander any farther than the palace walls, and soldiers kept an eye on every exit as well as the open water. His imprisonment was absolute, which meant he was unable to escape the stares and gossip of the courtiers. They disliked his black tail and bright green fins, comparing them to an oil slick, and calling him a bad omen. More than once, he’d heard people call him a portent of doom, that his very presence caused his mother’s demise. With no one to turn to, he had wept alone in his room.

He had been but a child then, bereaved and insecure, believing that adults knew everything, so they must be correct in their speculation about him.

Adrien shook his head, returning to the present. Obviously, they were not right about everything. He had seen for himself how beautiful and sweet humans could be. He looked around the marketplace, hoping to see dark hair framing fair skin, with wide blue eyes.

A human like her could even change Gabriel's mind.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If this can reach 900 hits, I'll post the next chapter!

Marinette spent the following morning playing with Alya and her bevy of siblings. They were a boisterously happy group, right up until Nora rammed Alya too hard, bowling her end over end, hard enough to bruise. Marinette supported Alya’s weight until they swam to the beach, where they could assess the damage.

Alya shed her auburn coat with a grunt. Marinette lay her own, much darker pelt beside it, before leaning in to examine Alya’s side.

‘Yes, that’s going to leave a mark.’

Alya released a long-suffering groan. ‘I swear, Nora should’ve been born a human. She’s such a brute.’

‘Don’t say that. You know you love her.’

‘Easy for you to say, you’re an only pup.’

Chuckling awkwardly, Marinette retrieved her fur, and nodded toward the low dunes. ‘Want to lay in the sun while we’re here?’

‘I don’t know.’ Alya looked around warily. ‘Isn’t there a colony of humans nearby?’

‘Not too near,’ Marinette assured her. ‘Even if there were, humans are so noisy. We’d hear them coming and escape long before they even realised we’re here.’

‘I suppose so,’ she agreed, already turning lazy in the warmth.

They laid their pelts over the soft sand, and reclined leisurely. Unlike Marinette, Alya didn’t freckle, but her skin took on a burnished quality, looking more golden than tan, the longer she lay in the sun. She and her family had travelled from warmer climes, seeking refuge from the humans encroaching on their territory, and had joined Marinette's colony only two years prior. They had been fast friends ever since. Marinette often wondered what became of Alya’s last colony, but she never spoke of them, and Marinette was afraid to pry.

They stretched, speaking lazily of idle interests and colony gossip. Their colony numbered in the thirties, an unusually high populace for selkies, so there was much to discuss. Marinette had to smother a grin when Alya mentioned the mer-king’s bard. Though she tried to hide it, it was obvious Alya fancied the boy, despite the fact that mer and selkie relations were almost unheard of. Merfolk were perceived by selkies as arrogant and entitled, and were often in conflict with other ocean denizens. 

“Humans of the sea,” Nora called them, scornfully.

Marinette pitied Alya’s hopeless fantasy – it was even less likely than Marinette ever being with the human she had met the previous day.

Eventually, they both drifted off to sleep, Alya still muttering about thuggish sisters and cute mermen. Marinette closed her eyes with a smile still on her lips.

The sounds of a horse approaching woke them with a start. Alya was on her feet immediately, and running toward the water, calling for Marinette to hurry up. But she had gotten her foot caught up in her own pelt, and struggled to right herself.

A swarthy young man rode into view, his chestnut gelding straining to reach the waves. However, the man tugged on the reins, then looked around. His eyes lit up when he caught sight of Marinette, still wrestling with her fur.

‘Good afternoon, young miss,’ he hailed as he dismounted.

The moment his foot was free of the stirrup, the chestnut broke for the water, tossing his head as he pawed at the waves.

The man approached Marinette, neither fast nor slow, with a predatory smile, without even a glance at his errant horse.

She looked around frantically, Alya’s sleek head barely visible among the whitecaps, but Marinette heard the worried bark, no doubt fearing for her safety. She corrected herself just as he reached her, extending his hand to rub her fur between his forefinger and thumb. Marinette cringed, feeling vulnerable and violated, her own fingers clenching around her fur.

‘You’re very beautiful. Would you like to come away with me, away from the uncivilised ocean, to live a life of luxury as the future baroness of this land?’

Marinette’s foot lashed out, connecting solidly with his knee.

‘No,’ she cried, taking the opportunity to run when his legs buckled.

With a pained shout, he fell to his backside, still reaching out for her.

Marinette sprinted for the breakers as fast as she could. Once she reached the water, she pulled her skin around her and transformed, swimming with Alya back to the safety of their colony’s home.

When they arrived, huffing great breaths as they climbed inside the sea cave, Alya nosed her face affectionately. Marinette returned the gesture, then drew back as the rest of the colony arrived. Marinette and Alya barked greetings to each member as they passed by, as is nothing untoward had happened. They would both prefer to avoid another lecture on the dangers of staying on a beach near humans for too long.

Instead, they followed their clan further inside. Set at the base of a sheer cliff, and guarded by many large, sharp rocks at the cave mouth, they were safe from the world beyond. As they followed the group, Nora approached to boom an apology at Alya. Her voice echoed painfully, making everyone wince. Deeper in the cave, a pup began to whine. All the females around them gave Nora reproachful looks.

Leaving Nora to the dubious mercy of the adults, Marinette went to join her parents on their family’s rock to enjoy a loving reunion. Behind her, Alya was swarmed by Etta and Ella, further encouraged by the unrepentant Nora.

They settled in for the night, the cave growing quiet, until Marinette was sure she was the only one awake. Because of her misadventure, she had not eaten since midday, and her stomach rumbled its disapproval. She sighed and turned around, hoping a different position would ease the discomfort. It didn’t.

Thinking back on the last two days, another chance encounter with the blond man would have been far more preferable to meeting the greedy one. She berated herself for not asking his name, or when he was likely to return to the beach. He was kind and handsome, which clearly proved that not all humans were evil.

Marinette closed her eyes to dream of being rescued from the clutches of evil by a man with blond hair and green eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just kidding. I'll see you all next week :P


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It looks like no one gives a shit about this fic, and I'm bored.  
> So, here you go.

Adrien was distracted from his examination of a curious red beetle by the shouted demands of a dark young man on a brown horse.

‘Bring me a physician,’ he bellowed. ‘I require medical attention immediately.’

A group of men surrounded the horse to help the young man down. He regained his feet with a yelp, only maintaining his balance by gripping the shoulders of two of the men. A boy was sent off to bring the physician, while the men all but carried their wailing comrade to seat him on a bench in the village green.

‘Be careful, that huts,’ he exclaimed.

The boy soon returned with a fussy little man in spectacles and a threadbare coat.

‘What is going on?’ he queried. ‘I don’t make house calls, you know.’

‘Then it’s a good think I’m not at home,’ snapped the injured man.

The physician paled and rushed over, suddenly solicitous. ‘Goodness me, Master Theo, what happened?’

Adrien raised his brows at the doctor’s change in demeanour. Apparently, Theo was a man of authority, and obsequiousness before power was universal, even transcending species. Many merfolk bowed and scraped before Gabriel or himself, hoping to curry royal favour, regardless of personal opinion. While human titles were unfamiliar to him, he had heard Theo’s name in connection to the local baron, and how the citizens spoke reverently of the title, if not the man himself.

Theo Barbot snorted. ‘I was taking my horse to the beach. You know how those beasts are.’

Adrien did not know, but the men gathered around him nodded, muttering affirmatives.

‘I was leading the beast to the water on foot, when a great mass surged out of the waves. I threw my arms up to protect my head, but the monster changed course and attacked my legs. I was dragged under the water, the weight of the massive creature on top of me. So, I punched it, again and again, until it couldn’t take the pain anymore. It fled back into the ocean, but it had already accomplished its mission.’

Theo held his leg out, frowning pitifully. The physician rolled up the leg of his pants to check the damage, humming and prodding thoughtfully.

‘Do you know what kind of monster it was?’ asked an awestruck onlooker.

‘It was a selkie. It had to be, the way it was glaring at me.’

‘You're very dry for someone who almost drowned,’ Adrien observed.

As one, the crowd turned to stare at him, expressions of horror etched on all their faces.

‘Are you calling Master Theo a liar?’ demanded one.

‘You do not speak like that to the baron’s son,’ exclaimed another, looking scandalised.

Adrien shrugged, unimpressed by the name or rank. ‘I’m just pointing out the obvious.’

An uneasy ripple ran through the crowd.

Theo cleared his throat, the physician still carefully poking at his knee. ‘Well, obviously it took me some time to catch my horse.’

‘But you’re injured. How could you catch him when you can barely stand?’

Theo gaped for a moment. ‘I had to sit and wait for him to come to me. In that time, I dried out.’

Adrien cocked his head, raising one eyebrow. ‘Weren’t you in tremendous pain all that time?’

‘Excruciating,’ Theo agreed. ‘But like a man, I pushed through it.’

‘Like you just demonstrated when you rode back into town. Wouldn’t it have made more sense, and been faster, to just come back on foot?’

Theo scowled, apparently unused to people questioning his integrity. ‘Who are you?’

Ignoring the question, Adrien went on. ‘Also, selkies aren’t known for their aggressive behaviour. They’re more likely to run away than fight, let alone attack without provocation. I’d say it’s a far likelier possibility you were attacked by a regular seal or sealion – a beach master, by the sounds of it.’

Adrien suspected it was far more likely Theo had made the whole story up to cover some embarrassing mishap, but he knew he had pushed his luck long far enough. With an apathetic shrug, he walked away, leaving the man to be tended to by his subjects.

The daylight was waning, and he needed to find somewhere to sleep. Despite the strange habits of humans, Adrien was not ready to return to his father’s kingdom. He also wanted to meet the mysterious woman on the beach again. If he had thought to ask her name, he could have found her by now, and asked to stay with her. She may not let strange men into her house, but he would at least know something about her.

With a sigh, he walked back to the beach. As long as he remained above the high tide mark, he was in no danger of accidentally turning back into a merman. As he settled down in the sand, partially burying himself to ward off the evening chill, he thought back to Theo’s outlandish claims. Selkies were pacifists by nature, so unless one went mad, it was unlikely to be the beast which attacked him.

Most merfolk were disparaging of selkie kind, claiming they were little more than animals with delusions of grandeur, and who still lived in primitive, tribal communities. Adrien had never seen a selkie before, but he knew there had to be more to them than his people gave them credit for. He thought it was amazing how they could shapeshift at will, and live on land as easily as in the water.

For years, he’d had the fanciful notion that selkies were created to be a bridge between species – animal, human, and mer, but he had long since grown up, and dismissed the idea as childish romanticism. He shook his head at his youthful foolishness, then crossed his arms behind his head to gaze at the stars until he fell asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, so it's not my greatest effort.


	5. Chapter 5

Marinette snuck away from her colony early the following morning, forced to rise by the demands of her stomach. She considered herself lucky when she happened across a slow-moving octopus, snapping it up quickly, before finding a meal of crustaceans and small fish.

Sated, she returned to her beach, cautiously poking her head above the waves to search for humans. Seeing none, she waded ashore, and shrugged off her fur.

Raising her arms above her head, Marinette stretched languorously, before picking up her pelt to leave it near the rock platform that housed the tide pools. Her fur blended neatly into the stone, looking like a mere shadow, rather than a pile of selkie skin. Pleased with herself, she turned toward the other end of the beach.

Her questing was halted by the appearance of a disembodied head laying in the sand. Marinette leapt back with a shriek, curling up protectively against the gruesome sight.

The head opened its eyes, the sand around it churning as something underneath moved.

She screamed.

‘Hey, it’s ok,’ assured a soothing voice. ‘I’m sorry, I didn’t think anyone would come by here.’

Marinette dared to lower her arms when she realised the voice was familiar. Unfurling her limbs, she blinked up at the handsome human she had met two days before.

‘Oh,’ she breathed, ‘it’s you.’

He was staring back at her, grinning widely. ‘I was hoping we’d meet again.’

Marinette took a deep breath, attempting to ease her racing heart. ‘You were?’

His grin turned shy, as his cheeks took a pink tint. ‘I wanted to ask you your name.’

Feeling heat spread across her own face, she ducked her head and swivelled her toes in the sand. ‘My name is Marinette. What’s your name?’

Holding one arm in front of him, he extended his other hand in a formal bow, a uniquely human affectation. ‘I’m Adrien. It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance, at last.’

‘Likewise, but what were you doing, buried in the sand?’

Adrien rubbed his head with an embarrassed chuckle. ‘I had nowhere to stay, so I slept on the beach. The sand retains the heat of the day, so I buried myself to avoid getting cold.’

‘Oh, that’s clever. But now you’re coated in grit. Isn’t it uncomfortable?’

‘Yes.’ He jiggled in place, attempting to dislodge some of the sand.

Marinette indicated the ocean behind her. ‘Why don’t you go wash it off?’

Adrien stilled, his eyes darting from side to side the only perceptible movement he made. ‘Uh, it’s not that bad. Besides, there’s a fresh water stream just over yonder.’

Marinette didn’t think it mattered what kind of water he washed in, as long as it got the sand off. But humans were peculiar creatures. She shrugged and followed him up the beach, and inland, until he located the stream. He shucked his ripped trousers, and stepped into the water, splashing up his chest, and down his arms.

Marinette watched appreciatively from the bank. She had seen naked males before, but none cut a figure as fine as Adrien’s. He looked strong, without being bulky, and he was tall, standing a full head above her. If he were a selkie, she would think him a very suitable mate, well able to provide for, and capable of protecting a growing family.

She blushed at her own temerity, forcing herself to look away. She could entertain the thought of a dalliance with a human, but she could never bind herself to one. Humans were rigid, uncompromising beings. He would expect her to relinquish her life in the sea to remain by his side for the rest of their natural lives. She was not willing to forsake half of herself for the sake of a man, and as he would not accept her heritage, a union was not possible.

Adrien ducked his head underwater, scrubbing furiously, before coming back up with a spray like a breaching whale. He flicked his hair out of his eyes, to smile up at her. ‘You can come in. The water’s fine.’

Taking a cautious step forward, Marinette curled her lip and quickly retreated. The ground was muddy and unpleasant, squishing up between her toes in unsightly gouts.

‘Not today, thank you,’ she replied, scrunching her nose in disgust.

She had no idea how he could stand subjecting himself to the boggy streambed, and still smile. Instead, she tossed him his pants, watching as he caught them in one hand, before proceeding to flap them about underwater. Once he was satisfied they were grit free, he slung the sodden garment over his shoulder, and emerged from the water.

Marinette frowned at his muddy feet, feeling they defeated the entire purpose of the bath. Adrien, however, was unconcerned.

He led her along an old game trail, pointing out objects of interest, like a tuft of animal hair, or a mysterious stone cairn. Marinette showed polite curiosity, theorising he didn’t know selkies knew a lot about dry land and human things.

One pile of rocks, similar to the cairn, but much bigger, and with three stones like an entranceway caught her attention.

‘What’s that?’ she asked, pointing.

Adrien frowned, his brow furrowed. ‘I don’t know, but I think we should stay away from it. The villagers say a redcap lives somewhere out here. If it’s anywhere, it’d be in there.’

Marinette felt the blood drain from her face. Redcaps were evil, goblin-like creatures so named because they killed any who crossed their paths, and dyed their hats with the blood of their victims. She took a judicious step back, preferring to stay well away from the nasty monsters. She ought not stray too far from her pelt anyway. If a human happened across it, she would be doomed.

Adrien escorted her back to the beach, where her fur waited, mercifully untouched.

‘You know,’ he began, with a careful look around, ‘the baron’s son came barrelling into town yesterday, wailing about being attacked by a monster. I doubt there’s any truth in his story, but please exercise caution when you come out here alone.’

‘Gracious,’ exclaimed Marinette. She was surprised to hear a human had survived such an encounter, let alone made it back to town. ‘Was he all right?’

Adrien snorted, waving a dismissive hand. ‘He was fine. But please be careful all the same. You don’t live near town, do you?’

She shook her head.

‘All the more reason to be careful,’ he finished.

The sounds of hoofbeats reached them, carried on the breeze. Adrien looked over his shoulder with a frown, waiting to catch sight of the approaching humans. Marinette, preferring to avoid a repeat of the previous day’s events, slipped into her fur and swam away before he noticed she had moved.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A direct continuation from the last chapter

Adrien did not appreciate the disruption. Just as he was about to learn more about the mysterious woman, the humans came barging in and ruined the moment. He turned back to Marinette, about to suggest they find somewhere quiet, only to find she had vanished. He scratched his head, wondering if she were actually a ghost.

Realising he was still naked, Adrien pulled his pants on, just as a couple of humans broke from their group to approach him. In the lead was the villager’s chief law enforcer, Roger.

‘Morning, Stranger,’ Roger began, with a tip of his hat. ‘The lads and I are investigating Master Theo’s claim of a rogue sealion in the area. Have you seen any evidence of such an animal?’

‘Not at all, Sir,’ Adrien replied honestly.

The more he thought about Theo’s story, the less sense it made. No animal would attack a human unless it felt threatened, and Theo wasn’t at all intimidating. His suspicion that Theo made the whole misadventure up increased to near certainty, especially since it seemed Theo had changed his story from vengeful selkie to rogue sealion. However, that did beg the question of how he had managed to hurt himself so thoroughly.

‘Well, if you do find anything, report to me immediately,’ Roger instructed him. ‘We cannot let a wild animal roam about attacking people, least of all the Baron’s son.’

‘Of course, Sir,’ Adrien agreed. He knew he would never find a trace of any such animal.

Roger returned to his crew, issuing commands to his second, so Adrien took that as permission to take his leave.

He followed the road back to town, his mind drifting once more to Marinette. She had been delightful company, and seemed impressed by his knowledge of dry land things. He also believed she lived alone in a remote steading, or manor, far away from the strange notions of other humans. This explained why she hadn’t reacted poorly to his nakedness, instead seeming to appreciate his physique. Buoyed by her admiring gaze, he’d preened for her benefit, flexing his muscles, and posing in such a way as to best demonstrate his assets.

Normally, he hated it when people stared, as it was usually accompanied by mistrustful mutterings about his tail. But when Marinette looked at him, it made him want to impress her. It was a new, foreign feeling, but not unpleasant.

He arrived back at the village to find Xavier Ramier on a bench in the green, cooing at a flock of drab little birds _._

‘Hello, Sir. How are the pigeons, today?’

Xavier smiled up at him. He was a kindly older gentleman who had helped Adrien on his first day as a human. Of course, Xavier didn’t know Adrien was a merman, but he had offered Adrien his first taste of bread, and had kept him fed ever since. Now, he handed over another heel of bread with an affable grin.

‘They’re very well, very well indeed, thank you for asking. Everyone told me pigeons weren’t meant to live by the sea, but we have proven them wrong, haven’t we, my dears?’ Xavier then turned sharp eyes to Adrien. ‘But it seems you are not taking care of yourself. Still no shirt, and eating like you’ve had nothing since the last time I saw you.’

‘I ate last night,’ Adrien defended himself, though it sounded weak, even to his own ears.

Xavier clucked like a disapproving chicken. ‘This will not do. You do not get fed, you are not properly attired, why I bet you don’t even have a home.’

‘I have a home. It’s just very far away.’

Xavier tsked again. ‘I insist you stay with me, at least until such a time as you decide to move on.’

Adrien nearly choked on his mouthful. ‘Move on?’ he asked, worried Xavier had found him out.

‘Well, yes. You vagrants always travel around, never settling anywhere for long. The open road will be calling you again, soon I’d wager. Until then, I insist you stay with me. My house is small, but cosy. You’ll be very comfortable in the loft.’

Adrien heaved a sigh of relief, touched by Xavier’s generosity. Truly, not all humans were as bad as Gabriel wold have him believe.

‘Thank you, Sir. I appreciate your kindness.’

‘Not at all, dear boy, not at all.’ Xavier threw the remaining breadcrumbs to the birds, then led Adrien back to his modest home. It was small, and in need of repair, but the front garden was well tended, and the kitchen was tidy and warm. The loft was accessed by a ladder in the far corner of the living room, which Adrien scurried up like an over-excited squirrel. Xavier chuckled as if he were an indulgent grandfather, unoffended by Adrien’s lack of manners.

‘You should find blankets and clothes up there, packed away in trunks. Help yourself; no one else wants them.’

Opening one of the chests at random, Adrien found a stack of neatly folded blankets and sleeping tack, all of which smelled strongly of soap. Another trunk contained clothes and shoes, so Adrien removed his tattered pants to pull on faded grey linen trousers, and a green shirt. The shirt laced at the collar, to his frustration, so he left it open. He found stockings balled up at the side, and tugged them over his feet before attempting to wrangle shoes. These he yanked on eagerly, keen to emulate the village men.

It took him a while to realise there was a difference between the left and the right, but once he sorted himself out, he thought he would eventually get used to the heavy chunks of leather binding his feet.

Scampering back down the ladder, Adrien rushed over to stand before Xavier proudly. The old man nodded in approval before tying the strings at Adrien’s throat.

‘Much better. You don’t look so much like a vagabond now.’

Adrien grinned. ‘Thank you for your generosity. I hope I’m not putting you, or your wife, out.’

Xavier waved dismissively. ‘Not to worry; you're not putting anyone out, and there is no wife to speak of. Women are too complicated. But birds, you can’t go wrong with birds.’

Adrien had nothing to say to that, so he went to inspect the kitchen instead. Xavier prepared a substantial meal, and Adrien repaid the kindness by performing small tasks Xavier could no longer do himself. Adrien didn’t know how to chop wood, or repair shingles, but Xavier smiled and nodded without complaint. Adrien supposed he did an adequate job when he could no longer see daylight through the rooftop.

That night, he sat before Xavier’s fire with a full belly, while Xavier himself rested in a moth-eaten chair, already falling to sleep.

‘Monsieur Ramier, are there any nobles living within walking distance of this village?’ Adrien asked, hesitant to disturb his rest, but suddenly feeling concerned for Marinette’s safety after her disappearance that morning.

‘Only the baron and his son. We’re too remote for other nobles to want to live nearby. We’re too far removed from the glamour of the big cities, the fashions, and the intrigues.’

Confused, Adrien swivelled around to face him. ‘Then, have you ever heard of a woman named Marinette? Fair skin, dark hair, lives somewhere outside the village?’

Xavier frowned. ‘No, never. Perhaps you merely dreamt of such a woman, and confused it with reality. I do that a lot.’

Adrien furrowed his brow, but let the subject drop. He was certain Marinette was not a figment of his imagination, but now he had more questions than answers.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Y'all can have the next chapter early because DeusBex made a lovely cover art for this fic, and it really made my day.  
> This chapter is dedicated to them!  
> Find them [Here](https://deusbex.tumblr.com/)  
> See what happens when you feed a writers ego? On an unrelated note, my birthday is next month ;D

The following morning, Marinette scowled at the humans swarming the beach as she bobbed in the water. She had snuck away early again to snatch a few hours sunbathing, only to find humans trampling all over her favourite sunning spot. Furthermore, there was no sign of Adrien.

Alya popped up beside her, startling a bark out of her. They both ducked when men turned to stare, looking for the source of the noise. Then, Alya nosed her side, before leading the way back to their colony’s cave, to shed her fur and look at Marinette sternly.

‘Haven’t you learnt your lesson? That beach is not safe for us.’

Shrugging out of her own skin, Marinette rubbed her arm as she looked away. ‘It’s not usually so busy, and not all humans are as evil as everyone says they are.’

‘What are you?’ Alya began, squinting at Marinette. Then she leaned back as her eyes blew wide. ‘Tell me you have not fallen in love with a human. You have, haven’t you?’

Marinette cringed at her accusing tone. ‘I wouldn’t go so far as to call it love. He’s just a nice man who returned my fur to me when he thought I’d lost it.’

Alya looked astonished. ‘He gave it back?’

She nodded and shrugged. ‘Yeah. His concern was really sweet.’

In an instant, Alya’s amazement subsided, and her expression fell. ‘You’re in love with him.’

‘No, that’s crazy. I said I wasn’t, didn’t I? What even is love, anyway?’

‘You can’t fool me, Marinette. Your parents might believe your cock and bull stories, but not me.’

Marinette gave in with a groan. ‘Ok, I like him. He’s kind, thoughtful, unselfish, and incredibly handsome. But it’s not love. A selkie can’t love a human. It would never work.’

Alya rested an arm around Marinette as they sat side by side.

‘You don’t have to pretend with me, you know. I’ve had a hopeless crush on a merman for months, and you know one of the merfolk would never debase himself by romantic attachment to a selkie.’

Marinette gazed at her, worried about Alya’s masochistic tendencies. ‘How did you come to love someone who thinks so little of our kind?’

Alya sighed, wrapping her arms around her knees. ‘It was about three months ago, when I was heading into deeper waters to look for shells and other pretties to weave into my new basket. Unfortunately, I went too deep, running out of breath long before I could reach the surface. Just as I was about to drown, I was moving upward again, faster than I ever could on my own. Once I took a breath, I turned to thank my rescuer, thinking it was one of us.’

‘But it wasn’t,’ Marinette supplied, when Alya got lost in thought.

Alya shook her head. ‘No. He said he saw me struggling and raced over to help, even though he knew I was a selkie. He said my fur wasn’t like that of an ordinary seal, so he identified me easily. He then introduced himself as Nino, King Gabriel's bard. Then he dove back under, and I have not seen him since.’

‘Then surely you must know what I mean when I say not all humans are bad. If a merman can save your life, then a human must be capable of compassion, too, right?’

‘Ok, yes, I get it,’ groaned Alya. ‘We’re both hopeless.’

They shared a smile before enveloping each other in an embrace.

‘Why did we have to fall for what we can’t have?’ Alya whined.

‘Because we hate ourselves, and want to make our lives that much more difficult and painful,’ Marinette answered.

‘You can still choose your human if you want.’

She sighed, forlornly. ‘Humans are too demanding. Eventually, he would ask me to give up my life in the sea, or hide my fur to prevent me from returning. I like the land, but the ocean is my home. It calls to all of us.’

Resting her cheek against Marinette's hair, Alya said, ‘you could still take him for a lover. Maybe after a night together, you’ll have him out of your system.’

‘I don’t want to do that. If I’m to lay with someone, I want him to be my mate.’

‘Well that severely limits your options.’

Chuckling ruefully, Marinette nodded. ‘Maybe so. But you know, I’m not ready to stop seeing my human just yet. I still want to see where this goes.’

‘It sounds like you’re begging for heartache, but I’ll be cheering for you. One of us ought to have a chance at a happy ending.’

Marinette leaned in close to hug her. ‘Thanks, Alya.’

Alya returned the embrace, patting her hair fondly. ‘Of course. What’re friends for?’


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Because this chapter is so short, there's the first chapter of another WIP I'm working on as well.  
> It's not a fluffy story though, so be warned.   
> Also, there's animal cruelty in this chapter... sorry.

The sounds of celebration drew Adrien to the town centre. Following the sounds of happily raised voices, he emerged from a shadowed alley to the marketplace where the people milled about excitedly. Curiosity piqued, he wound through the masses to see what they were screaming at.

He stopped at the front of the crowd, to watch on in horror as three men stood upon a wagon, to hack up the carcass of a massive sealion.

‘This is what happens to animals what attack men,’ screeched one of the butchers, as he held the animal’s heart aloft to the crowd’s raucous approval.

Adrien turned away, nauseated by the amount of blood on the men, and on the ground below them. He turned his back on the townspeople, escaping down the road and back to the beach, studiously avoiding the splashes of blood along the way. He paused to throw up twice, but each time only managed to dry retch in the roadside ditch. It didn’t settle the queasiness at all.

Adrien reached the dubious sanctuary of the beach, running toward the waves, and peeling of his human trappings as he went. He couldn’t stand to be on land any longer, his father’s mistrustful utterances about humans echoing in his mind.

Nearing the water, he was met with the peculiar sight of a seal lumbering out of the breakers. Its fur was dark, with a subtle undertone of blue when struck by the light, identifying it as a selkie. No natural seals had such an extraordinary pelt.

Shaking his head, Adrien could not let a selkie risk capture on this beach. He approached it slowly, both hands up, clearly visible, and holding no weapons. Merely three feet away, he stopped and knelt, the selkie watching him with large, soulful blue eyes.

‘It’s not safe here,’ he told it. ‘The humans caught a sealion they thought was responsible for attacking one of their own, and butchered it in revenge. I don’t know what they’d do to you if they found you here. For your own sake, return to your colony, and tell your people this beach is no longer safe.’

The selkie stared for a moment, its eyes wide and frightened. Then, it nodded and turned around, to dive back into the waves.

Adrien waited until he was sure the selkie was gone before he finished disrobing. He then sprinted into the water, welcoming the feel of saltwater on his skin. There was a flash of light, and a moment of pain, before his tail thrashed, propelling him into deep water.

Opening his outer eyelids, Adrien saw no sign of the selkie, and hoped it had followed his instructions. He would hate for the gentle creature to be caught by the bloodthirsty humans.

Turning his back on the land, Adrien struck out for home, unexpectedly eager for Gabriel's overprotective tendencies.

Unbidden, thoughts of Marinette bubbled to the surface. He stopped, the beach shelf dropping away to unfathomable depths below him. He half turned around, taken by a sudden desire to find Marinette and explain why he was returning to the sea. But she was a human, and therefore unlikely to understand. Nor could he stay with her as a man. Every time he would look at her, he would be reminded of the townspeople’s screaming for the blood of an innocent animal. He turned back around, saddened he could never see her again.

Gabriel would be happy to have him home, and would undoubtedly gloat about how he’d been right about humans all along. Adrien hadn’t even lasted a week among the humans before their ways had him fleeing for the depths once more.

Adrien rolled his eyes and kept going. At least Nino would be genuinely glad to see him, and he had missed his friend. He sped up, keen to reunite with the first friend he had ever made, and feeling ready to resume his safe and familiar role as heir to his father’s kingdom.


	9. Chapter 9

Four days after Adrien had told her to never come back, Marinette returned, watching carefully from the safety of the water, for any sign of Adrien. Since he had warned her of the danger, and had seemed so afraid, she was worried for his safety. She wanted nothing more than to get to the beach, march into the human town, and demand to see him.

Her plans were thwarted, however, by droves of humans patrolling the dunes on the lookout for another victim. It seemed as though the humans were not satisfied with the unnecessary slaughter of one animal, and were eagerly searching for another.

As the days wore on, fewer and fewer humans combed the beach, and a week later, it was abandoned once more.

Marinette approached cautiously, keeping a watchful eye on the path leading to the village, as she shed her fur and stood up straight. Looking around, she found no trace of Adrien, and cursed the humans for obliterating any remaining traces of him with their careless stomping.

Reluctantly, Marinette returned to the sea when the sun had almost set, only to return the following morning to continue her search. In a moment of desperation, she considered asking the redcap if he knew anything, but halfway to the monster’s lair, she stopped as the foolishness of her endeavour sank in. A redcap would not tell her anything, even if he did know. He would just slice her open and rinse his hat in her blood.

Marinette turned around, the sick worry in her gut building to intolerable levels.

‘My sweet Adrien, where are you?’ she whispered, beginning to fear the worst.

She tried to talk to Alya of her troubles, but she was no help.

‘Maybe he was a traveller, and decided to move on. It’s for the best, really. I mean, you said it yourself. A relationship with a human is nigh impossible.’

‘I also said I wasn't ready to part yet,’ Marinette argued, frustrated with Alya’s apathy.

‘Evidently, he was. Let him go, Marinette. You have plenty of good prospects here. Nathaniel would be thrilled to finally have you look at him.’

Clenching her teeth, Marinette stifled a shriek, before standing up to put her fur back on. She ignored Alya’s calls, and dove deep, wanting to get away from everyone, including herself.

After hours of mindless drifting, Marinette found herself back at the beach. It was pointless to keep returning, she knew, but her mind kept whispering _what if?_

Against her better judgement, Marinette swam ashore, dropped her pelt, and continued to search. Once again, it was all to no avail.

Dejected, she meandered back to the rock pools, the very place she had been when she had first met Adrien.

‘Oh my, what do we have here?’

Marinette spun around at the maliciously gleeful voice, to see the swarthy young man from before crouch to examine her discarded pelt. She cursed herself thrice over for not concealing it properly when she took it off.

‘A beautiful selkie skin, and a lovely young woman on her own,’ the man continued, stroking her fur covetously.

Marinette took a nervous step toward him, then stopped, unwilling to come closer to the repulsive human.

‘That’s mine,’ she told him in a wavering voice. ‘Put it down.’

He shook his head. ‘No, I don’t think so. In fact, I have a better idea. How would you like to become my wife?’

‘No, thank you.’ Marinette tried to sound firm, but she stammered, her voice catching in her throat.

The man met her eyes, still smiling. ‘You don’t have a choice, Selkie. As long as I possess your skin, you're mine.’

Marinette watched helplessly as he bundled her fur up, and wedged it under his arm, her heart beating furiously.

‘Come, Selkie,’ he instructed, in a tone that brooked no argument.

Cringing and openly weeping, Marinette followed on foot as he rode back to his ugly fort, sitting like a bloated toad upon a hill. People pointed and stared as they passed through the village, the man unrolling her pelt to display it for all to see. The whispers turned to gasps of astonishment, her once proud fur waved around like a banner.

Frightened and humiliated, she followed her captor into his home. He locked her in a room off the main courtyard, furnished only with a small bed and a bucket. He hid her pelt in the main fort, far away from herself, leaving her locked away to await his return.

Marinette sank to the floor beside the bed to rest her face on her knees, crying bitterly late into the night


	10. Chapter 10

Gabriel had been as gracious as Adrien predicted, reminding him at every opportunity of how awful humans were, and how correct he had been. So, once Adrien had performed his duties, he returned to his chambers alone to lay on his bed.

It had been ten days since his return, and Gabriel was still gloating. Adrien wished he would get over it, and start acting like a reasonable adult, but Gabriel was always ungracious in victory.

Adrien snorted derisively.

A sudden pounding on his chamber door startled him upright.

‘Enter,’ he called.

Immediately, Nino barrelled inside to tug roughly on Adrien’s arm.

‘You need to come with me, now.’

Adrien only put up a token effort of resistance. ‘What’s going on?’

Nino spared him a glance, then faced forward. ‘There’s someone you need to meet.’

When he refused to answer any more questions, Adrien let him tow him along, thinking it was unusual for Nino to be so anxious.

They exited the palace, then swam a long way, almost into human territory. But before they entered shallower waters, Nino veered left, until they were surrounded by large, jagged rocks. Together, they broke the surface in front of a sea cave set in the base of a sheer cliff. Nino kept going, into the mouth of the cave, and out of sight. Adrien hurried to catch up. The inside was dim and cool, occupied by a single selkie in human form, sitting protectively on her pelt.

Nino swam toward her, then hoisted himself out of the water to sit on the rock beside her. He made a conscious effort not to touch her fur at all during the process.

‘Alya, this is Adrien, prince of the merfolk. Adrien, this is Alya, Marinette’s best friend.’ Nino paused after his introductions were made, looking meaningfully from Alya and back at him.

For a long minute, Adrien wondered how Marinette could befriend a selkie. Then, common sense set in, solving the conundrum for him. His eyes bulged as his mouth went slack, words failing him entirely. He pointed helplessly while Alya raised an eyebrow at him.

‘What happened?’ he finally wheezed, deciding to forego any further reactions to the startling revelation about Marinette's identity.

Alya gave him a hard stare. ‘You were the one who told Marinette to leave and never return,’ she stated.

‘That’s right. I didn’t want the humans to catch her, and murder her for sport.’

‘Yes, well, in typical Marinette fashion, she went back anyway.’

Stunned, he asked, ‘why?’

‘To look for you, you dumb cuttlefish,’ she yelled. ‘Except now, she hasn’t been back in days, and her parents are frantic. They fear she’s been captured.’

Adrien gulped, feeling lightheaded. ‘Why was she looking for me?’

He cringed at Alya’s expression.

‘Because she loves you, stupid kelp for brains.’

Adrien winced as her voice echoed sharply off the walls.

‘We need a plan to get her back,’ Nino cut in, before Adrien could ask another silly question. ‘Any ideas?’

‘No,’ Alya pouted, folding her arms. ‘My people are useless in a fight, even to save one of our own. Besides, we don’t even know where she is.’

Nino turned to Adrien. ‘Would your dad be willing to turn us temporarily human over this?’

It hurt to have to kill the hope blossoming in Alya’s eyes.

‘Probably not. I’m uncertain the magic would even work on me twice. Besides, the spell takes a long time to work, and I don’t think we have that luxury.’

‘You need to try,’ Alya told him. ‘We’re only in this mess because of you, so fix it.’

Adrien recoiled, stung by her words.

Nino frowned at Alya, even as he rubbed her arm soothingly. ‘Easy there. Adrien didn’t tell her to keep going back, nor was he the one to capture her, or drag her away. He doesn’t deserve your wrath. We don’t even know if that's what happened.’

‘It’s the only explanation,’ Alya replied heatedly, ignoring the reprimand. ‘If you knew her like I do, you’d understand.’

Pushing back from the rocks, Adrien looked up at them both. ‘Wait here. I’ll ask Father, but I can’t make any promises, ok?’

They nodded, and he dove, swimming back to the palace as fast as he could. He barged by the guards, not stopping until he reached the throne room.

‘Father,’ he panted, ‘I need to speak with you.’

Gabriel nodded. ‘As you wish.’

They sat in his office, regarding each other from either side of a large, stone desk.

‘Nino and I need to be temporarily human, and quickly. Can you do it?’ Adrien asked, without preamble.

Gabriel raised an eyebrow. ‘How come?’

‘It’s a life or death situation, and extremely time sensitive. Can you do it, or not?’

Gabriel crossed his arms. ‘It’s possible. However, I don’t see why I should.’

Squeezing his eyes shut, and silently begging for patience, Adrien tried again, adopting a tougher stance. ‘Either you give me the spell, or I’ll just take it. Though, I would really prefer to have your cooperation on this, for once.’

Gabriel was unimpressed. ‘Do not threaten me, Adrien.’

‘For pity’s sake, Father, a life is on the line. Just give me the spell,’ he burst out, his patience giving out abruptly.

With a reproachful look, Gabriel reached for the shelves behind his desk. Carefully, he held out two spheres made of resin, and sealed within each was a dark butterfly.

‘If you're truly serious about this, then lay on a beach and break one of these over your heart. Concentrate hard on what you want, as any lapse in focus could yield unpredictable results at best. You will only have hours before you revert to your natural form, but if you need to change back sooner, wash your chest with pure water. The spell is quick, and minimally painful. I assume that’s what you want, yes?’

Adrien snatched the spheres from Gabriel's palm and swam away, calling his thanks over his shoulder as he left. He felt like the return journey to the selkies' cave took far longer than the initial trip, even though he was pushing himself hard. His tail was burning by the time he made it back to Alya and Nino. He presented Gabriel's spheres triumphantly, while wheezing an explanation, keeping hold of one as Nino took the other.

The three of them headed to the beach, Alya keeping watch as Adrien and Nino dragged themselves up the dry sand. They broke the spheres as instructed, and quickly shifted into human forms. Aware of the limited time, Adrien supported Nino’s weight as they headed toward town. They couldn’t afford to wait until he had achieved his balance on two legs, and out of water. There was no knowing what situation Marinette was in, and Adrien was beginning to fear the worst.

‘Be careful,’ Alya called after them, concern colouring her tone.

Nino waved back at her, smiling as he tripped over his own foot. Adrien helped him regain his footing, and kept going, Nino staggering along beside him.


	11. Chapter 11

Marinette stared at the plate of human food which had been pushed through a slot at the base of the heavy door. Curling her lip, she kicked it back out, feeling a surge of vindictive pleasure at the guard’s dismayed exclamation.

She had tried the food once, only to spit it out and declare it inedible. Since then, all she’d consumed was water, and it was beginning to show. Her body was slowly starting to consume itself in order to stay alive.

The passage of days was marked by the meals sent in the mornings and evenings, as well as the sliver of light allowed in by the arrow slit set high in the wall. She could tell the difference between night and day, but only the meals indicated whether the grey light filtering in was morning or evening. At dawn, she was given a bowl of discoloured semi-liquid food, accompanied by unrefined bread. In the evenings, the slop was an unappealing brown, with chunks of plant matter and pieces of dead farm animals. Marinette despised the taste of dryland animals, so she forcefully rejected the food sent to her, much to the guard’s chagrin.

Theo was not pleased with her continued insubordination, and frequently berated his guardsmen for letting her best them.

After he had thrown Marinette into the dingy room, Theo had come back every day to ask if she would consent to marrying him. But every day, Marinette gave him the same answer – stubbornly crossed arms, her nose in the air, with a flat refusal.

However, he was growing impatient. Theo took her rejections with rapidly diminishing grace, and would stomp away, grumbling about how he still had her skin, and would force her if she kept denying him.

Marinette didn’t attempt to call his bluff, just in cast that was the push he needed to carry out his threat. So, she remained quiet while he ranted, waiting until he left before she allowed herself to relax.

Eventually, she had to eat. The demands of her body were too strong, and she would need the sustenance if she was going to attempt an escape. Precisely at dawn, two guards came to change the waste bucket, and bring her breakfast. She was sure she could escape if she planned ahead carefully, so she waited, memorising their schedules and patterns to determine where her best chances lay.

One of the guards was large and thuggish, but didn’t seem particularly intelligent. He, however, did not seem to present a problem. The other guard was small, but wiry, with a nervous habit of constantly looking over his shoulder. He would be the problematic one, once Marinette affected her escape.

She idled her day away, but before night fell, plunging her into impenetrable darkness, Marinette moved her waste bucket to the far corner of the room, and arranged her paltry blankets to look like a slumbering figure. Then, she sat behind the sturdy wooden door, waiting for dawn.

 

* * *

 

 

The door opened inward with a squeal of protest, the hinges rusted after years of exposure to the seaside breezes. Marinette sat up, alert, as the guards entered, glancing at the bed before leaving a bowl and cup of water on the floor, and exchanging her used bucket for a clean one.

When they were both well inside, Marinette slipped out the open door to the hallway beyond. She crept furtively down the dimly lit corridor, until she came to another door, standing ajar at the end, and leading into what looked like a guard room, mercifully empty.

‘Hey,’ shouted an outraged voice behind her.

Sparing a brief glance over her shoulder, she saw the guards from her room running toward her. Quickly, she shoved into the guard room, and out of the door on the far side, emerging into an open-air courtyard. Before anyone realised what was happening, Marinette sprinted to the main fort building, determined to find her pelt.

Rough hands grabbed her from behind, wrenching her arms back until she cried out. Their weight pushed her facedown on the cobblestones, where she was restrained with rope about her wrists and ankles, while onlookers called for Theo. He came stomping out of the fort, glowering at his men.

‘Almost bested by a mere slip of a girl,’ he snapped, his lip curling at their incompetence. ‘Hobble her and put her back in her cell, reduce rations, and take four men to attend the amenities. Dismissed.’

Marinette was hauled to her feet, her chin smarting after it was grazed on the stone ground. Feeling minor aches and stings all over her body, she was sure she was covered in bruises and scratches now.

After she was deposited back in her cell, shackles were placed around her ankles, which were attached to a length of chain bolted to the floor. Once Theo and the guards left, Marinette sank to the floor and wept, seeing no solution, and knowing no one was coming to save her.


	12. Chapter 12

Once Nino gained his land-legs, Adrien led him in a sprint to the village. There, they stood in the town square, naked, and demanding someone tell them what happened to Marinette.

Xavier emerged from the frightened and wary crowd, holding his hands up non-threateningly. ‘I don’t know of any Marinette, but word has it that Master Theo has a new lover.’

Adrien felt the blood rush from his face. He spun around, heading for Theo’s fort, dragging Nino by the elbow.

‘That building is huge,’ Nino exclaimed as they drew nearer.

‘Yes, but we can narrow down our search area. Theo is the baron’s son, so his chambers will be in the biggest, most opulent part of the keep. Because Marinette is a selkie, he will have her pelt close by, where he can keep an eye on it, probably within his own rooms. This means that Marinette will be held as far away from it as possible to prevent her finding it and escaping.’

‘So, we don’t search the big bit until we find Marinette,’ Nino concluded. ‘Which begs the question, where do we begin to look for her?’

‘Wherever looks promising.’

They burst into the courtyard, heedless of the spectacle they made. Immediately, Adrien began yelling for Marinette, while Nino hefted a spear left leaning against the curtain wall.

Casting a critical eye around as he made his demands, Adrien assessed the buildings before him. Directly in front loomed the main keep, where Theo was likely to be located. To the right of the courtyard were stables, a pig pen, and a modest smithy. To the left was a squat structure abutting the length of the curtain wall. Figuring that was the most likely place to find Marinette, he signalled to Nino, then charged toward the door.

Guards ran out, armed with knives and yelling for their surrender. Nino took point, clouting the men over their heads or slamming them in the sides with the shaft of the spear. No injuries he inflicted were fatal, but they incapacitated the men long enough for them to rush by.

‘I think you missed your calling,’ Adrien commented, impressed by his friend’s efficiency.

Nino grinned as they made it safely past the guards, and into the low building. Adrien took the lead once more, heading beyond the guardroom and down a dark corridor. Nino remained in the front room, curiously examining its contents.

‘Marinette?’ Adrien called as he walked down the hall. ‘Are you in here?’

‘Adrien?’ gasped a faint voice.

He found her in the room at the farthest end of the hall, and rattled the handle.

‘It’s locked,’ he grunted.

‘Which is why you always search for the keys first,’ Nino said, blithely, as he came up behind Adrien. He was swinging a loaded keyring from his index finger, smiling smugly.

At Adrien’s request, he sorted through the keys until they found one that fit, and let themselves into the cell.

Adrien surged forward, hugging Marinette tight, all but sobbing into her hair.

‘Thank goodness we found you. That man didn’t hurt you, did he? If he so much as touched you,’ he left the threat unfinished.

Marinette shook her head. ‘I’m fine, but there’s a problem.’

She shook her foot, rattling the chain attached to her ankle. Adrien and Nino looked down, appalled to see her shackled like an animal. Quickly, Nino knelt to try the keys, one by one, until they found the one which released her.

‘This has already taken too long, and we still need to find your fur,’ Adrien worried, taking hold of Marinette's hand.

Marinette looked up at him, fretfully. ‘We’re still getting it, though, right?’

‘Of course, we are,’ he promised.

The shackles gave with a dull click, and Marinette kicked it away contemptuously, before they turned and fled down the hallway together. Back in the guardroom, Nino discarded the keys to retrieve his spear, before leading the charge back into the courtyard. He spun his weapon in wide arcs to clear a path all the way up the keep steps, and to the main doors. However, once they made it inside, they were confronted by a grinning Theo.

‘You will never find the skin, nor will you leave here alive.’ His smirk grew nasty. ‘I suggest you leave the girl here and go peacefully, gentlemen, or you will all perish.’

Before Adrien had a chance to respond, Nino lunged forward to stab Theo in the leg, then spun the spear around to strike him in the face with the butt. Theo fell backward, howling in pain.

‘Where’s the pelt?’ Nino screamed in his face, standing over the cowering man threateningly.

Theo’s crying subsided into pathetic whimpers. ‘My chamber. Third floor, second door on the right. It’s in the armoire.’

‘Let’s go,’ Nino ordered, gesturing for Adrien and Marinette to follow.

They ran up the grand staircase until they came to the third floor, and barged into Theo’s luxurious room.

‘What’s an armoire?’ Adrien wondered, as he looked around.

‘It’s like a closet,’ Marinette answered, as she picked up a light pink swathe of fabric to admire. Adrien looked to Nino for clarification, but he just shrugged, and began poking about inside a chest.

Adrien opened doors and drawers at random, hoping he would get lucky, and that Theo hadn’t lied.

Marinate located the armoire, and threw out linens haphazardly in her desperation. With a triumphant cry, she extracted her pelt from behind a stack of sheets to hug it tight.

Adrien breathed a sigh of relief. ‘Let’s get out of here.’

They promptly left the fort, Theo calling feebly to Marinette as she passed, still laying on the floor as if he were mortally wounded. Without apparent thought, Marinette stepped on his outstretched hand as if she hadn’t noticed it was there. Adrien failed to stifle a snort of laughter.

They raced out of the courtyard, and back toward the beach, glad the baron’s men did not seem inclined to follow, choosing to tend to their fallen master rather than pursue his fleeing romantic interest.

‘How did you know I needed help?’ Marinette panted as they ran.

Nino glanced at her from over his shoulder. ‘Alya told me. I was swimming a patrol around our furthest perimeters when I bumped into her. She told me her dear friend had gone missing after returning to a beach frequented by humans, and that she was worried sick. She mentioned your name, and well, Adrien has muttered your name enough in his sleep for me to figure it out.’

Adrien spluttered indignantly. ‘I do not talk in my sleep.’

‘Yes, you do, especially when you’re stressed.’

Nino and Marinette both gave him knowing smirks, until he looked away with a huff.

When they reached the freshwater stream, Adrien grabbed Nino by the elbow and plunged in, to wash Gabriel's spell from their chests. In a flash, their legs were replaced with tails, and gills split the tender skin at their necks.

Marinette gaped from her place on the bank, pointing at them helplessly.

‘You have a tail?’

Adrien waved his tail fins at her, smiling sheepishly. ‘Surprise?’

Nino’s cheeks ballooned as he tried to keep from laughing, but he ended up blowing unsubtle raspberries between tightly pinched lips.

Adrien levelled him a severe look, before turning back to Marinette.

‘You’re merfolk,’ she stated, still pointing at him.

He hung his head. ‘Yes, I’m merfolk. I’m sorry for not being honest with you from the beginning. I did trust you, but I just didn’t think mentioning what I am was important. I guess it slipped my mind, in the end.’

‘You didn’t think it was important?’ she echoed, her voice rising. ‘All this time, I thought you were a human.’

‘Well, it’s not like you told me what you are,’ he deflected, feeling huffy.

‘I thought you knew,’ she retorted.

‘How could I possibly know something like that?’

‘You literally handed me my pelt the first time we met. I don’t know how you could have missed it.’

‘I just thought you were an eccentric human with a fine taste in fur coats.’

They stared at each other, dumbfounded.

Nino pointedly cleared his throat. ‘This is all very sweet, but do you think you can help us get back to the beach, Marinette? You know, before the fresh water begins to have an adverse effect on us?’

Marinette straightened up, blushing at the oversight. ‘Of course. Sorry.’

‘You’ll find Alya waiting for us on the beach,’ Nino suggested.

Soon after, with much panting and complaining, Alya and Marinette dragged the mermen back to the beach, to swim away from the land of the humans for good.


	13. Epilogue

Marinette swam out to her new favourite sunning spot, far away from humans, to shed her fur and lay on the pleasantly heated rock. The outcropping was ideal; it was broad, flat, and only accessible by water. Cushioned by her own pelt, Marinette stretched out to bask in the sun, her hand trailing in the water.

Just as she was drifting into a light doze, fingers tickled her palm. She smiled, wiggling her own fingers, hoping to catch the ones which pulled her from her nap.

‘I know you’re awake,’ teased a lilting voice. ‘Open your eyes.’

Rolling over to face him, Marinette obliged, smiling serenely. Adrien met her eyes, looking softly back at her, before hoisting himself out of the water to sit beside her. Leaning forward, he kissed her tenderly, while caressing her gently rounded belly.

‘What do you think it’ll be?’ he asked, pulling away to look down at her stomach.

‘I think she’ll be a girl.’

Adrien gave her a look. ‘I mean, do you think she’ll be selkie or mer?’

Marinette leaned back on her hands as she thought, giggling when he placed a light kiss on her belly. ‘When selkies produce offspring with humans, they always seem to birth human children. If we go by that evidence, the child should be mer.’

Adrien hummed thoughtfully. ‘Not exactly the best information to go by. What did Alya and Nino have?’

‘Alya hasn’t given birth yet.’

‘Still?’ he exclaimed.

‘It’ll happen when it happens. Though, I hope for your sake, we have a merchild. Then your father can’t gripe about you not having a suitable heir.’

Adrien snorted. ‘Father would gripe regardless. If it comes to it, I can always abdicate and let my cousin take the throne. I’m sure Felix would be thrilled to have the top position.’

Marinette made a face back at him. ‘Don’t push your luck too far. You already pushed the bounds of your father’s generosity when he allowed you to wed me.’

Adrien picked up her hand to kiss her knuckles. ‘And every day I thank my good fortune.’

Her soft smile returning, Marinette stroked his face, before leaning in to kiss him soundly. ‘I’m glad we made this work.’

His expression turned wistful. ‘I wish I could fall asleep with you every night, and wake up to you beside me every morning. But I can’t ask you to sacrifice half of who you are. It wouldn’t be fair.’

‘I know what you mean. But we can still see each other every day, and I appreciate you taking the time to visit so regularly.’

‘Of course, Love, and I wouldn’t miss this for the world.’ He kissed her stomach again.

Marinette leaned against him, holding his hand as he kissed her hair, the warm ocean lapping around them, as if it celebrated the tender moment, and their love, alongside them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The child was a selkie.   
> Adrien abdicated his position as heir, leaving the title to Felix.   
> Adrien and Nino relocated so they could be closer to their families, where they lived happily ever after.  
> Theo eventually submitted to an arranged marriage, and was bound to a veritable battleaxe for the rest of his life.  
> The end!


End file.
